Peru has set ambitious goals for 2016. Under the aura of being the only Latin American nation that is growing steadily (yet a little slower these days), the Peruvian economy has opened its doors wide to the globalised world and announced its decision to continue promoting international conventions and agreements to attract more investment and create business opportunities.
It's a bold gamble, but if you do not share your table with the big players, you will stay behind," reflects Magali Silva, Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism and one of the main promoters of Peru's current commercial disposition.
"Peru has been a member of the APEC for 17 years and next year it will host this global event for the second time. The Peruvian economy is the only one in Latin America that has shown its willingness to welcome guests," said she in a press conference with foreign correspondents.
Peru currently has 17 trade agreements with 52 nations; 4 others are about to come into force and another 5 are under negotiation. By 2016, the number of trade agreements will have increased to 19 and 8 continue to be negotiated, including those with Indonesia and India.
The priorities, according to Minister Silva, are clear: to continue moving towards the creation of a free trade area in the Asia-Pacific region and to promote the internationalization of small and medium-sized Peruvian companies, helping them in becoming links in the global service chains.
In this context, the TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement) is a master key, as twelve nations of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum are within it. In addition to Peru, the nations that have signed it include Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, the United States, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Vietnam and Mexico.
All these countries represent a potential market of 805 million people and is now the largest economic and trade bloc in the world, with 37 percent of the global GDP.
"To grow, we must stand beside the great," stated Minister Magali Silva with absolute conviction. She added that in other trading blocks that have Peru and Mexico as members, such as the Pacific Alliance, both countries have made rapid progress in the implementation of the agreements.
"We have a really special relationship with Mexico; we are partners in three levels: bilateral (FTA Peru-Mexico), at the Pacific Alliance and at the TPP, and this has strengthened our relationship," she points out.
To date, Peru has 36 operational sales offices in the world and its immediate plans, faithful to the country's tradition as a food producer, include large shipments of corn, amaranth, avocados, peppers and the flagship product: blueberries, bound for markets in Canada, Chile, South Korea, the United States and China.
It will soon bring its supply to other important markets, such as India and Indonesia; a sign that the Peruvian economy has already become used to expanding and competing in the big leagues.
